many Westerners simply haven’t been exposed to the bean curd’s vast array of possibilities. The first time I had fried soft tofu, it was given the salt-and-pepper treatment, a classic Chinese ...

Slice the bean curd into pieces about 8mm (⅜ in) thick and lay them on a cutting board. Lightly sprinkle salt over the bean curd, then turn the pieces over and sprinkle salt on the other side.